Power-transmitting mechanism.



C. B. GRAY.

POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

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C. B. GRAY.

POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATIONA FILED rsa. 1. 191g.

"u "WH Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

CHARLES B. GRAY, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

IPOWER-'IRANSMITTING MECHAN ISM.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES BAXTER GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residstem, F,

ing at Knoxville, in the county' of Knox i and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Power-Transmitting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing. j

My improvement relates particularly to mechanism for transmitting power through endwise reciprocation of a member of the mechanism. The mechanism is -applicable for use as actuating means for the shutters of cameras, and as an actuating or releasing means for various kinds of apparatus.

The object of the invention is to produce such a transmitting mechanism in flexible form permitting repeated bending without injury to the mechanism, and in a form permittin the attainment of precise movement.

In t e accompanying drawings,

Figures. 1u and 1b together present a longitudinal View of a mechanism embodying my improvement, portions being in section; Y

Fig. 2 is a section on the line, 2-2, of Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line, 3--3, of Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line, 4-4, of Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line, 5--5, of Fig. 1, looking toward the right.

Referringto said drawings, A is a metallic tube or barrel having its left hand end screw-threaded into the contracted 4portion, B1, of the outer head, B, whereby said barrel and said head are firmly but detachably joined to each other. The opposite end of said barrel is ,contracted to form aneck, A1., At the junction of said neck with the. body of said barrel is a shoulder, A2. A extends slidably vthrough the head, B.

Within said head, the stem has an annular rib, F1, which limits the movement of said stem toward the left or away from the neck, A1, of the barrel, A. Between said annular rib and the shoulder, A2, the stem, F is surrounded by an expanding coiled spring, G. Said spring abuts yagainst the shoulder, A2, and against the rib, F1, and tends to move the stem, F, toward the left Specification of Letters Patent.

-is' an annular shoulder, F3.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application led February 7, 1918. Serial No. 215,885.

ory away from the neck, A1, so that, when said stem is free from pressure on its. outer end in the direction of the barrel, the stem is held outward with the rib, F1, bearing against the inner face of the wall of the head,.B.

The neck, A1, is loosely surrounded by the left hand end of a coiled spring wire tube, C. The right hand or inner end of said spring extends into an inner head, E. Said inner head has a tubular neck, E1, in which is an annular shoulder, E1, against which said spring abuts. Said spring rests loosely i within said head. The head, B, and the head, E, are joined by a fiber fabric tube, D. At its left hand end, said fabric tube surrounds the barrel, A, and the head, B, has a tubular extension, B2, surrounding said fabric tube. The fabricis secured to the barrel, A, by means of a suitable adhesive. At the right hand end, the fabric tube surrounds the neck, E1, on the head, E, and a band, D1, surrounds the `fabric tube and binds th'e latter to said neck.

The coiled spring wire tube, C, is s0 wound as to leave spaces between the coils, and said tube is made 'long enough to cause it to be under compression endwise when the fiber fabric tube is under tension. Thus the fiber fabric tube is normally held under tension and the coiled spring wire tube, C,

is normally exerting endwise pressure. And

while there is limited or substantially no.-

expansion of the coils at the outer sider of the curve when the tube is bent.

On the inner .or right hand end of the stem, F, is a neck, F2, at the base of which l Said neck is surrounded by ont end of a coiled wire tube, J. The op osite or right hand end of said tube exten s around a neck, I1, on a slide member, I, which s sldableendwse in the head, E. `The engagement between the tube,

J, and the necks, F2 and I1, -ma be frictional; but; said Anecks are prefera ly screwthread'ed. to conform approxlmately to the coils of the-tube, J, in order that said tube may be threaded to Said necks. The tube, J,

' is preferably so formed as tocause its coils to normally press firmly against each other, in order that there may be I lo lost motion when the stem, F, is pressed inward, 1n the direction of the head, E,V the stem, F, pushfing thev tube, J, and the tube, J, pushing the slide member. i

The slide member, I, may be regarded as the iinal member in the transmisslon.- In

the particular form shown in the drawings head, E, being screwed into a relatively Stationary wall, L, and thus held in relation to the mem'ber, K.

rIhe coils of the tube, C, are `*wound in one direction while the coils of the tube, J, .are preferably wound in the oppositedirectlon.

lAs above described, the tube, J, -is held to the neck, F?, of the stem, F, and the slide member, I, is held to the tube, J, by means of the neck, I1. After unscrewing the-head, B, from the barrel, A, the stern, F, together with the spring tube, J, and the slide member, I, may be drawn out endwise, toward the left, through the barrel, A, the diameter of the tube, J, and the slide member being of less diameter than the interiordiameter of the tube, C.

The fabric tube, D, may be4 detached by removing the band, D1, and softenin or dissolving'the adhesive by which sai ,fabrlo is secured to the barrel, A.

This mechanism comprises two important features. One of these is the closely-wound coiled wire transmission tube, J ,connected with the stem, F, and the slide member, I, whereby there may be transmission without lost motion. The other of these features is the forming of the outer coiled wire tube,-

C, in such manner as to permit bending the tube withoutmaterial separation of the coils at the outerx side of the curve, the spacing between the coils permitting the coils to approach each other on the inner side of the curve While the tube is being bent. The member, I, being free to slide; the adjacent end of the inner wire tube, J, is free to move endwise when the mechanism is being bent.A

In this manner, the inner tube, although closely-wound', adapts itself `to the bending Without kinking.

Practice has shown that a mechanismbf this construction ma -be bent an indefinite `num'ber of times wit out kinkinjgjorY otherwise disabling the coiled wire tubes.

The reach of the slide member, I, ma be adjusted by moving the tube, J, on bot or either of the necks, F2 and I1. 'In this manner a very precise adjustment may be'made.

The size ofthe mechanism is to be varied to conform'to the amount of power to be transmitted and to the size of the apparatus with which the transmissionmechanism is .having spaced coils and being located between said heads and engaging said barrel, flexible means joining-said heads and definitely holding them at a fiXed distance from each other while said spring wire tube is partially compressed endwise, a stem eX- tending slidably through one of said heads and having limited .outward movement, a slidey member in the other of said heads, and means intervening said stem andsaid slide member for the transmission of endwise motion from said stem to said slide member, substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the nature described, the combination o f two heads, a barrel on the outer head, a coiled spring wire tube having spaced coils and being located between said heads and engaging said barrel, flexible means joining said heads and definitely holding them at a fixed distance `from each other while said spring Wire tube is partiall compressed endwise, a stem eX- tending slldably through one of said heads and having limitedA outward movement, yielding means for vnormally holdin said stem at its outer limit, a slide mem er in the other of said heads, and means interveningand joined to said stem and said los slide member for the transmission of endi wise motion from said stem to said slide member, substantially as describe l 3. In a -mechanism of the nature described, the combination of two heads, spring wire tube having spaced coils and 'l'ieing located between said heads, iiexible means joining said heads and definitely holding them at a fixed distance from each other while said spring wire tube is partially ai coiledv compressed endwise, astem extending slidably through one of said headsv and having limited outward movement, yieldin means for.l` normally holding said stem at its outer limit, a slide lmember inthe other of said heads,'and means intervening and. adjust- `ably surrounding said stem and said slide wir member for the transmission of endwise motion from said `stem to said slide member, substantially as described. i

4. In a mechanism of the nature described, the combination of two heads, a coiled spring wire tube having spaced coils and being located between said heads, flexible means joining said heads and definitely holding them at a fixed distance from each other while said spring wire tube is partially com* pressed endwise, a stem extending slidably through one of said heads and having limited outward movement, a slide member in the other of said heads, and means intervening and joined to said stem and said slide member for the transmission of endwise motion from the stem toward and to the slide member, the inner head having 'an axial opening extending through said head and of sufficient diameter to allow the movement of the slide member through the head toward the outer head, and the inner diameter of the coiled spring wire tube being suicient to allow the free passing of said slide member and said intervening means toward the outer head, whereby, after the detachment of the outer head, said intervening means and said slide member and said stem' are together removable, substantiall as described.

5. In a mechanism o the nature described, the combination of two heads, a coiled spring wire tube having spaced coils and being located between said heads, flexible means joining said heads and definitely holding them at a fixed distance from each other while said spring wire tube is partiall compressed endwise, a stem extendmg sli ably through one of said heads and having limited outward movement, a slide member in the other of said heads and a coiled wire tube intervening and adjustabl joined to said stem and said slide mem er for the transmission of endwise motion from said stem to said slide member, substantially as described.

6. In a mechanism of the nature described, the combination of two heads, a coiled spring wire tube having spaced coils and being located between said heads, flexible means joining said heads and deinitel holding them at a xed distance from eac other while said spring wire tube is partially compressedl endwise, a stem extending slidably through one of said heads and having limited outward movement, a slide member in the other of said heads, and a coiled wire tube intervening and threaded to said stem and said lslide member for the transmission of endwise motion from said stem tosaid slide member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name' this 1st day of February, in the year one thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

' CHARLES B. GRAY. 

